Still
by Goldylox62
Summary: James and Lily get to know each other whilst revising for their NEWTs.


_This is written for __**Tinkerbelle0603 **__for their __**Non-Slash Romance **__Forum, it's a James/Lily, with a prompt of 'Still.'_

**Still**

Lily Evans was sat beside the lake, leaning against a nearby tree, surrounded by books. She sighed, glad for some shade from the searing heat. Her NEWTS were approaching, and she wanted to be as ready as she could possibly be. She slumped against the tree and closed her eyes, trying to recall the ingredients to Polyjuice Potion that were listed in _Advanced Potion Making._

'Working hard, Evans?'

Her eyes sprung open, and she was greeted by the familiar, cocky smile and tousled, jet black hair of James Potter.

She stared up at him, shading her eyes from the sun. He was alone.

'Potter. Well, this is a surprise.' She remarked. He frowned, confused. 'You're on your own. You haven't got your so-called friends with you to encourage you.'

'Encourage me?' he said playfully.

'Yes. You and Sirius Black, always trying to out-do each other. Showing off.'

'I do not show off!' he said indignantly, sitting down beside her and leaning against the tree.

'Yes you do.' She said bluntly, and for once, he didn't argue. She looked up at him in surprise, waiting for his objection. Instead, he just kept staring at her; deep into her eyes, hazel on green.

She smiled awkwardly, and looked at the ground, pulling up a handful of grass and playing with it in her lap.

'What do you want anyway?' she said, trying to bring back their usual banter.

'I wanted to talk.'

'Talk about what?' she asked, amused.

'Just talk.'

Lily sat, waiting. James didn't say anything, so she pulled _The Standard Book of Spells Grade 7 _onto her lap and opened it to about half way. She began to scan the page in front of her.

'Do you want me to test you?' Lily stared at him, dumbfounded.

'Yeah. Sure.' She said, bewildered.

He took the book off her and closed it, placing it on the ground.

'_Deletirus.'_

Lily frowned. 'What about it?'

'Come on, quick-fire questions. _Deletrius._'

'Erases the last spell cast by a wand so it can't be discovered. _Tergeo_.'

'Makes something clean. _Sonorus.' _

'Amplifies the user's voice. _Revelio.'_

'Erm… Oh I know this! Oh, it's on the tip of my tongue…'

Lily began to laugh. 'Come on, Professor Flitwick talked about it about a month ago…'

James raised his eyebrows. 'Oh, you weren't there for that lesson. You were ill.' She gestured quotation marks around the last three words.

'I was!' he said, indignant. 'I had a serious condition!'

'Yeah, if you call eating so many Acid Pops with Sirius Black the night before that your tongue burnt up and illness…'

He gasped mockingly. 'I can't believe you would even suggest such a thing!' Lily laughed, leaning back on the tree for support.

James smiled. 'I've never seen you laugh.'

Lily stopped and looked at him intently. 'Really? I laugh all the time.'

James shifted so he was sat facing her completely. 'I'd like to see you laugh more often.'

She looked down, embarrassed.

'Stay still.' he said, reaching up beside her face. She froze. 'What is it?' she whispered.

He stared intently at something next to her, and then punched the air quickly, making her gasp.

'A wasp.'

She laughed, and he smiled at her, staring into her eyes. She felt like she couldn't move. She didn't want to move, losing herself in her eyes.

'_Revelio.' _She whispered.

'Find something that's lost.' He whispered back. '_Orchideous.'_

'I don't think we've covered that one.'

'We haven't.'

He looked down, releasing her from her trance. His wand lay on his lap, with a bouquet of lilies pouring from the end.

She smiled nervously. He picked out a single white lily, and placed it behind her ear, so her hair fell around it beautifully, framing her face.

She smiled. 'Conjures some flowers.'

He laughed.

'Yeah.'

She looked down again, blushing.

'Lily.'

Her head snapped up in surprise.

'You never call me that.'

'I know.'

He knew that he know had her full and undying attention.

'Lily. Go out with me.'

She stared at him. 'Alright.'

His eyes opened wide in shock.

'Really?'

'Why not?'

'What? No comparing me to the giant squid? You wouldn't rather go out with a troll?'

She hit him playfully on the arm with her book.

'Ow!' he winced.

She laughed. 'No – no jokes this time.'

He stood up and stretched. 'Ok. Well, I'll see you tonight.'

'What's tonight?'

'Our first date.'

'I'll pick you up at about 8.'

'Don't you have NEWTs to study for?'

'I think we've done enough studying for today.' His cocky smile was back.

She laughed and shook her head.

'I'll see you later. You'd better get going. I'll bet the other three won't know what to do without you.'

He smiled, and laughed a little. 'I'm sure they'll have been fine.'

He put his hands in his pockets and strolled toward the castle. Lily craned her neck around the tree, to watch him walk away. James waited until he though she couldn't see him before punching the air and jumping up.

Lily chuckled quietly to herself. Yes, James Potter was a prat, but he was a nice one.

_Awwww, cute, right? I do like this story – I hope you do too! xxx_


End file.
